By Stephen Mosher, BroadwayWorld Michael Olatuja just lost his job. Actually, he lost his job working as a bass player in the pit for the Broadway musical FROZEN when the city of New York shut down in order to flatten the curve. For a while, Mr. Olatuja was holding out hopes that his job awaited … Read More
Month: May 2020
NEW RELEASE: Ralph Peterson Expands the Messenger Legacy with ‘Onward & Upward’ out 9/18
Ralph Peterson Expands The Messenger Legacy with Onward & Upward 14 Former Jazz Messengers Join 3 Legacy Messengers for Historical New Recording out September 18th on Onyx Productions Master drummer Ralph Peterson continues to advance the continuum of his late mentor Art Blakey on Onward & Upward, his ambitious and expansive 25th release as a leader. … Read More
REVIEW: Jazz.Ru Reviews Azat Bayazitov’s “The Doors Are Open” (RU)
Kirill Moshkov, Jazz.ru On June 19 the Russian jazz label Rainy Days Records will release the album “The Doors Are Open” by Russian saxophonist Azat Bayazitov who recorded while living in New York. This is the second solo album in the work of Azat; the first, “ If You Still Trust, ” appeared on Butman Music Records in 2015 (see an interview with Azat … Read More
NEW RELEASE: Mafalda Minnozzi’s ‘Sensorial – Portraits in Bossa & Jazz’ is out on July 20th, 2020
Celebrated vocalist Mafalda Minnozzi weaves jazz improvisation and Italian romanticism with timeless Bossa roots on Sensorial – Portraits in Bossa & Jazz Full length album, video album available on July 20th, 2020 Internationally acclaimed vocalist Mafalda Minnozzi is proud to announce the July 20th release of her new and highly-anticipated album Sensorial – Portraits in … Read More
REVIEW: Michael Olatuja’s ‘ Lagos Pepper Soup’ – PostGenre
By Rob Shepherd, PostGenre It can be incredibly difficult to be creative at the culinary arts. Insufficient attention to detail or excessive or inordinate amounts of particular ingredients potentially create a bland or inedible product. Masterful creation requires a background on how to best use materials and a desire to mix them in the best … Read More
TAKE FIVE: Michael Olatuja “The Hero’s Journey (feat. Regina Carter)” Featured on WBGO.com
By Nate Chinen, WBGO Bassist Michael Olatuja is an adopted New Yorker who was born in London, but his heart — certainly the heart of his musical project — resides in Lagos, Nigeria, where he grew up. Read the full feature here.
NEW MUSIC MONDAY: Svetlana, “Young And Beautiful” – JAZZIZ
By Matt Micucci, JAZZIZ Renowned vocalist Svetlana has unveiled a bonus track off her latest album, Night at the Movies, released last September. “Young and Beautiful” was originally interpreted by Lana Del Rey and heard on the 2013 film version of The Great Gatsby. Svetlana’s version was arranged by Gil Goldstein and the vocalist explains: … Read More
FEATURE: Listen to “Pjanoo” by Mathis Sound Orchestra – Aipate
By Aipate “Pjanoo” by French-Malagasy composer and producer MATHIS (and his band Mathis Sound Orchestra) is an interesting mix of jazz and electronic music. It is taken from his new EP World Unity, a body of work that thematically underscores the importance of human connection. Listen to this feature here.
REVIEW: Svetlana Shmulyian: Night At The Movies album review / All About jazz
By C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz Russian-American singer Svetlana Shmulyian has blended an East Europe/Russia combination of elegant determination and delicate grit into the American Songbook on her debut recording Night at the Speakeasy (AO2 Records, 2016), and then film music on Night at the Movies (Starr Records, 2020). The artist surprised listeners by … Read More
REVIEW: Carolina Calvache ‘Vida Profunda’ Reviewed in Step Tempest
By Richard B. Kamins, Step Tempest Colombian-born pianist, composer, and arranger Carolina Calvache issued her debut album on Sunnyside Records in April of 2014, a program of original pieces that featured a sextet including drummers Antonio Sanchezand Ludwig Afonso, trumpeter Michael Rodriguez, saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, and bassist Hans Glawischnig. “Sotareño” is an impressive album, as … Read More